PDF Download: decide when Firefox downloads or opens PDF files

Filed under: Internet, Productivity, Freeware

PDF Download: decide when Firefox downloads or opens PDF files

by Brad Linder Sep 14th 2007

When you click on a web link that takes you to a PDF document, you can either download it or view it in your browser if you have the right plugin installed. But you usually have to configure your browser settings to either always download a file or always open a file.

Sure, you can open a file with Firefox and then download it, but considering how long it takes for the Adobe Reader plugin to open a file, that just seems like a waste of time.

That's where PDF Download comes in handy. This Firefox add-on gives you more control over how you handle PDF files. Want to automatically download every PDF you see? You an do that. Want to open every file using Adobe Reader? No problem. How about opening every file as an HTML document? Yup, you can do that too.

But probably the most useful option is the default view. Once you install PDF Download, every time you click a link that takes you to a PDF file, a window will pop up asking what you'd like to do with that file.

[via Web Worker Daily]

Tags: add-on, firefox, pdf-download

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ian said 1:48PM on 9-14-2007

I've been using this for ages and it's fantastic. I loathe Acrobat's plugin and it's nice to be able to decide if I want to read a PDF later, or outside of the browser in the native app.

Doubleplusgood on this thoughtcrime.

Taomyn said 1:57PM on 9-14-2007

My recommendation: install the NoScript extension (useful for many other reasons as well), so they never download automatically unless from a trusted site and then to speed things up, by get the Adobe Reader Speedup (http://www.tnk-bootblock.co.uk/software/index.php?type=supported&id=7F7290B5) and not worrying about it as it will load far far quicker.

Victor Agreda, Jr. said 1:58PM on 9-14-2007

This should be built in to FF, IMO

Fred Thompson said 5:18PM on 9-14-2007

Right-click on the link and choose "Save Link as". There is no need for a plug-in.

RP said 8:00AM on 9-15-2007

Nice Vista screenshot -- love the baby blue! But where's the semi-transparent title bar, so I can see what's behind that window? :-)

Brad Linder said 8:04AM on 9-15-2007

RP: That's what happens when I make sure there's a white background behind the window so that you can't see what's behind the window. :)

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